Grain-scourer



(No Model.)

H. H. RING. GRAIN scounsR.

No. 458,495. Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. RING, OF LAIRDSVILLE, ASSIGNOR TO .VALDRON & SPROUT, OF

' MU NCY, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRAIN-SCOURER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,495, dated August 25, 1891. Application filed April 2, 1891. Serial No. 387,399. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY H. RING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lairdsville, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Scourers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in grain-scourers; and the object is to provide simple and durable means for expeditiously and thoroughly cleansing grain of any adhering dirt or sand, as well as to remove the thin coating or skin which adheres to the kernels, and a further object is to provide for the adjustment of parts and regulate the action of the beaters on the kernels, according to the condition of the grain.

In another application (Case 0) filed by me on the same day as this application, Serial No. 887,398, I have illustrated the adaptation of my scourer for use in connection with a grain separater and cleaner; but I do not confine myself to this particular use of the present improvement, as it can be advantageously used by itself or in any relation where it is desired to accomplish the expeditious and thorough scouring of grain.

The invention consists in the combination of a shaft, a shell or casing situated at one side of a hopper and divided into a series of concentric compartments arranged with their outlet-openings out of line, a screw-conveyer carried by said shaft and arranged to positively feed the grain from the hopper axially into the shell or casing, a rotary disk carried by the shaft within the casing or shell, and beaters rigid with said disks and arranged in the compartments of the case.

My invention further consists in the novel construction, combination, and adaptation of parts, as will be hereinafter fully explained.

To enable others to understand my invention more readily, I have illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a vertical sectional view taken through the machine on the plane indicated by the dotted line 00 m of Fig. III. Fig. II is a view of the machine with the delivery-spout and the feed-hopper in-section and the casing in elevation, the section of the feed-hopper being on the line 1 y of Fig. III. Fig. III is avertical sectional view of the machine on a plane at right-angles to the section shown by Fig. I, and indicated by the dotted lines .2 .2

of Fig. I. Fig. IV is a detail view of a portion of the shell or casing and the concentric partitions therein. Fig. V is a detail view, partly in section, showing the construction by which the adjustment of the beater-blades on the rotary disk is efiected.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings, referring to Which- A designates the annular case of shell, which is placed in a vertical fixed position on-a suitable frame, and B is the horizontal shaft, which extends axially through said annular shell and through a feed hopper or receptacle 0, provided at one side of the case or shell. Said horizontal shaft may be supported in any suitable manner, either by a single longbearing Z) or by two separate bearings, as may be preferred. One of the sides of the annular case or shell A is closed by a head a, in which is formed an axial feed-opening a, while the other side of the case or shell is closed by a face plate or head (1?, suitably bolted or other- So wise secured to said shell. The upper side, of the hopper or receptacle 0 is open for the free introduction of the grain therein, while the lower side of the hopper is curved. (See Fig. II.) In the hopper is a screw conveyer D, which is suitably fixed to the shaft B, and this screw conveyer operates close to the curved bottom of the hopper. The screwcon veyer extends into the case or shell through the axial feed-opening a therein, and this conveyer terminates close to the rotary disk E, which is arranged within the case or shell, and is suitably fixed or secured to the shaft 13, so as to be positively rotated thereby in the case or shell.

The interior of the case or shell is divided into .a series of compartments 1, 2, 3, and 4 by a series of partitions or walls F G H, which are concentric with each other and with the annular shell or case A. These annular par- I00 titions or walls are rigid. or integral with the head 66- of the case or shell, and they extend therefrom for a suitable distance toward the face-plate a so as to leave a space or chamber 5 between the partitions and said faceplate, in which chamber the rotary disk E is arranged, as shown by Fig. III. The interior surface of the annular shell and the opposing faces of th e concentric partitions or walls th ereof are roughened by corrugating or fluting them, as at 1', (see Fig. IV,) to enable said surfaces of the shell and its partitions to act with better effect on the grain. The series of concentric partitions or walls F G H are provided with openings f g h, and the shell A has an outlet-opening j, said series of openings being out of line with each other. Thus the openingf from the chamber 1 is out of line with the opening g from the chamber 2, and (the opening h from the chamber 3 is out of line with the openings g j from the chambers 2 4. (See Fig. I.) By this arrangement of the outlet-openings from the several chambers and use of the beaters L and the rotary disk E, I am enabled to cause the grain to travel or pass around each chamber before it is delivered into the other surrounding chamber, and thereby more thoroughly effect the securing and cleansing of the grain.

A multiplicity of beaters L are provided on the rotary disk E, and said beaters are arranged in a number of circular rows, which are concentric with each other, one row or series of beaters being arranged in each of the chambers. These beaters are carried by the rotations of the disk E around the concentric chambers, and they act upon the grain in conjunction with the corrugated partitions to thoroughly and quickly remove any adhering particles of dust and the thin coating or skin on the kernels of the grain. Each beater or blade is of peculiar form or shape, the same being convexo-convex in cross section, and each beater or blade is formed with a threaded stud m, which passes through an aperture in the disk E and receives a nut n to firmly hold the beater in place on the disk. The beaters or blades may be arranged on 'the rotary disk,

so that their convex surfaces face the corrugated walls or partitions, as indicated in Fig. I, or the beaters may be turned part way around at an angle to said walls or partitions, or they may be adjusted transversely across the compartments, in which they travel or operate, according as it is desired to subject the grain to a hard or easy scouring operation, the manner of fastening the blades admitting of their adjustment with facility and ease. A discharge-spout O is clamped or fixed to one side of the case or shell to receive the grain from the opening j in the case A, and across this opening j is adapted to be adjusted a regulating gate or valve P, which is fitted to a slot p in the discharge-spout O, and is held in place by a binding-screw p, to regulate the escape of grain from the scouringchambers.

The operation of my improved machine may be described briefly as follows: The shaft B, being rotated by any suitable means and the grain deposited in quantities in the hopper, the screw conveyer D positively forces the grain from the hopper into the inner chamber 1 of the case or shell, from whence it passes successively to the chambers 2 3 4 by the openings f g h. As the screw conveyer continues to feed and push the grain into the chamber 1 and the beaters are carried around the series of chambers by the disk E, the grain is positively forced and pushed through the successive chambers and at the same time subjected to the beating or scouring action by the beaters and the corrugated walls or partitions in the flutings. By adjusting the regulating-slide the rate of travel or escape of the grain can be regulated and the force of the beaters on the grain can be controlled by the position of the beaters in reference to the walls of the compartments in which the beaters operate.

I am aware that changes in the form and proportions of parts and details of construction of the mechanism herein shown and described as an embodiment of my invention can be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications as fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a grain-scourer, the stationary shell or case having the axial inlet opening therein on one side and provided with a series of concentric walls or partitions forming the series of concentric compartments, the openings in said walls or partitions being out of line with each other, combined with a rotary disk arranged within the closed side of said shell or case close to the walls or partitions therein, and a series of beater-blades carried by the disk and fitted in the compartments of said case or shell, substantially as described.

2. In a grain-scourer, a stationary shell or case provided with the axial inlet on the one side thereof and having a series of concentric partitions or walls forming a series of connected compartments, the openings in said walls between the compartments being out of line with each other, in combination with a hopper or inlet arranged laterally to the case or shell, a shaft carrying a feed-screw that enters the central compartment of .the shell, a rotary disk fixed to the shaft, and the blades or beaters carried by the disk and arranged in the compartments of said shell, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a grain-scourer, the combination of a shell or case divided into a series of connected concentric compartments, a hopper, a shaft passing axially through said shell or case, a feed-screw carried by the shaft and operating in the hopper and central compartment of the case, the disk carrying the beaters or blades which travel in said compartments of the shell, and the regulating gate or valve operating in the outlet from the case or shell, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a grain-scourer, the combination, with a shell or case, of a rotary disk carrying the beaters or blades, which are capable of ad- 3' ustment thereon relatively to the walls of the compartments in which said beaters operate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a grainscourer, the combination, with a shell or case provided with a series of compartmnts, of a rotary disk and the beaters carried by said disk and arranged in the compartments of the shell, said beaters being convexo-convex in cross-section and adjustable on the disk relatively to the walls of the compartments in which they operate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a grain-scourer, the combination, with 20 a shell or case having the concentric walls HEN RY H. RING.

WVitncsses:

D. B. DYKINS, JOHN WALnRoN. 

